Baldwin & de literaire wereld

Reading in Black is a book club that centers Black literature and connects communities through stories, conversations, and shared curiosity. They create spaces where readers can discover, dive deeper, and enjoy themselves together — from reading schedules to book discussions, from knowledge-sharing to encounters with authors and experts. Always with an eye toward growth and inspiration.

For this special edition at ITA, Sharily Ortela dives into the work, the era, and the world of James Baldwin. Using quotes and excerpts, they engage in conversation with a guest and the audience about Baldwin and his literary contemporaries. Which voices shaped his political and artistic vision? How did his years in Paris influence his development? And how does his work resonate today — in the arts, in society, and in our personal lives? Expect an accessible, in‑depth conversation that opens up new pathways into Baldwin’s oeuvre and the stories that continue to shape us.

This program is a collaboration between Reading in Black and Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, accompanying Eline Arbo’s current stage adaptation of the novel Giovanni’s Room.